Injection style results from an eye serum?

Lets just say that when we first got our hands on Elite Serum, we very excited to try this product. If it worked anything like the earlier version, we would be happy to endorse it, however the actual results simply blew away even our most optimistic expectations!  Let me outline a couple of the significant changes that SkinPro made to Elite Serum:

• Instead of an airless pump, which can be difficult to use, this version is made in a custom applicator syringe. No serum goes wasted and the application is extremely precise. This unique airless syringe serum dispensing technology was invented by SkinPro and is undergoing patent proceedings at the moment.

• The active ingredients in this version are used in higher concentrations.  This means that there is even more potency in this formula. Syn-Coll, Snap-8 and Matrixyl 3000 have been added to the mix along with Argireline, Haloxyl and Eyeliss from the earlier version. What this means is simply more potency and better results than ever before.

Will this make me look YOUNGER?

Many claims are made in beauty products, and especially when we talking about the anti-aging cream sector, it seems that every product on the market has “the ability to make you look years younger”. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of these “miracle products” fall quite short of the hype. For this reason, we only endorse products that use clinically tested and proven peptides, in the concentrations recommended by the manufacturers.

The fact is most companies fluff up their offer by simply making false claims.  SkinPro has always been a “science first” company that has grown extensively in a down economy by keeping their minds on research and development, and real proven results.  This new Elite Serum product is the effort of almost two years of work in the laboratory by some of the leading cosmetic chemists. It is no wonder that anti-aging guru Dr. Mark Weis, an author and researcher from the University of Kansas College of Medicine, recommends Elite Serum as the “only true topical solution for reversing the signs of aging”.

Elite Serum LOOKS like an injection.

However, it’s not.  Elite Serum is non-invasive, non-painful, yet JUST AS POWERFUL AS AN INJECTION. In fact, it works in many areas where an injection does not, like draining the fluid from puffy under eye bags.  Elite Serum is actually quite soothing when applied to the area of skin around the eyes. Our test group found that it works better than any other solution we have ever tried in relieving the appearance of eye wrinkles, puffiness, dark under eye circles, and all other visible signs of aging that are common in this area.

This BREAKTHROUGH product (or version “2″ for lack of a better way to introduce the “new” Elite Serum) contains the highest possible concentrations of the leading peptide ingredients sourced in exclusive deals with the likes of Sederma, Centerchem, Lipotec, Pentapharm and LucasMeyer. Our favorite part is that it’s all packed inside the most advanced skin care delivery system yet – a syringe type applicator that perfectly applies the skin serum to the treatment area.

You can bet that  you will hear a lot about Elite Serum and parent company SkinPro in the coming years.  The early  reviews are already coming in – and while we were blown away with this new product that crept up out of nowhere, the Plastic Surgery Practice medical journal was left shaking their head in disbelief following a completely independent and unsolicited review where they called Elite Serum “The Anti-Aging Breakthrough of 2012″.

As the company proudly extolls on it’s website, “this is not your mother’s department store eye serum”.

SkinPro CEO Richard Banks tells us that “While we appreciate the independent review from this prestigious peer journal, it is vital to note that their opinion of Elite Serum was never officially sought by us and never compensated for in any way”.  This product simply works, and that is why it is getting the accolades. It is a simple formula really. SkinPro uses an extremely high concentration of clinically proven wrinkle fighting, dark circle reducing and under eye puffiness diminishing ingredients. Elite Serum is a testament to the strength of their relationships with these overseas labs and their increasingly strong International buyer network.

Here is a summary of the key peptides that form the basis of  the NEW Elite Serum formula…..

Argireline has been clinically proven to permanently reduce wrinkle depth and lines around the eyes by up to 50% within 30 days of application.

Haloxyl is the only ingredient that has been therapeutically shown to effectively eliminate dark circles and puffiness under the eyes, and does so in a dramatic fashion.

Eyeliss, a combination of 3 bio-molecular peptides, quickly and effectively reduces puffy eye bag volume by over 70%.

Just to stack the deck and remove any doubt about which eye treatment will reign king in 2012, Elite Serum adds a high concentration of Matrixyl 3000, Syn-Coll and Snap-8 to its new formula.

With all this said, it is clear that Elite Serum remains our #1 eye cream for overall rejuvenation, wrinkle concealment, and ability to treat dark circles and puffiness. Nothing else comes close.

Click Here to Visit the Official Elite Serum Website

The product further claims to minimize the appearance of crow’s feet, eliminate under eye puffiness, lessen the appearance of dark circles.  This product can be applied twice daily, is hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive eyes and those who wear contact lenses.  It’s important to read the directions thoroughly as Kinerase warns that you should be careful not to apply product any closer to the eye than the orbital bone.  Those who made this mistake reported under eye irritation and burning.

This product contains many well known, and key anti-aging ingredients such as Kinetin, SNAP-8, Vitamin C, Haloxyl, and EyePro 3x.  The Kinetin is a plant growth factor that helps to lessen the overall signs of aging and improve the hydration of the skin.  SNAP-8 is a neuropeptide that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial expressions.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to stimulate collagen production to improve the skin’s overall firmness and elasticity.  Haloxyl visibly reduces the appearance of dark circles.  Lastly, EyePro 3X alleviates under eye puffiness due to fluid build up.  As you may know, fluid build up is caused by laying face down, cEyePro 3X isn’t an ingredient you hear of too often.

This product is on the more expensive side, and is actually more expensive on Amazon than on some other sites we found.  It can be purchase anywhere from $45 to $98 for .50 oz through Amazon.

So, is it worth paying the extra money for?  It’s nice to see that this company completed a clinical test.  The actual results were not published and the study was only conducted for 28 days so some may challenge the actual results on the average consumer.  Often times it takes longer than 28 days to see maximum results, especially on those fine lines that are deeper and under eye circles that are darker.

Consumers rate this product with mixed reviews across the board.  Some reported that their skin felt silky smooth after using this product and that fine lines were in fact diminished and dark circles and puffiness reduced.  Others said this product was great for those with sensitive skin and allergies.

Those who disliked the product said things such as they didn’t notice any significant changes whatsoever after 28 days of use.  Others wondered if they needed to use it for longer in order to see results.

The general consensus did agree that this product was easy to dispense, dispensed just enough product, didn’t feel tacky or sticky and went on smoothly.  Application of undereye makeup was a breeze within minutes of application.

Only you can decide if it’s worth the higher dollar.  We usually say that if there is a lack of evidence to support a product’s price point, you may want to stay away.  That’s probably the case with this cream.

The Murad Intensive Wrinkle Reduce for eyes-0.5 oz claims to visibly reduce the severity of crow’s feet while instantly tightening and firming skin.  It’s formulated with a clinically proven bioengineered ingredient that enhances skin by diminishing the appearance of fine lines by 33% in four weeks and increasing skin firmness by 55% in 12 weeks.

A group of us tested this product.  Our consumers ranged in age from 35-50 and all had some level of crows feet and fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.  We opted for an 8 week test period, based on the fact that the product claims to reduce lines by 33% in 4 weeks and increase skin firmness in 12 weeks.  8 weeks would allow an ample period to diminish the appearance of fine lines and skin firmness should be increased by at least 30%.

Results:

Despite our well wishes, Murad fell short again.  Some consumers experienced irritation and dry eyes along with puffiness underneath the eye.  Each of the consumers experienced very little reduction in fine lines.  All consumers did agree that their skin felt tighter, however, most attributed the increased firmness to the fact that the skin around their eyes was now dry.  To Murad’s credit, directions do instruct to “Follow with a Murad Moisturizer.”   While we do not recommend this product, many consumers intend to continue to use the product for the full 12 week period and others are going to try pairing this product with the Murad Moisturizer.

The Lumiere Eye Cream contains PSP (Processed Skin Cell proteins), a proprietary skincare ingredient exclusive to Neocutis.

This product and the entire line raises many ethical questions about the use of PSP in cosmetics.  Simply put, PSP are skin cells obtained from a fetus.  NeoCutis discloses the following on their website, “To be clear, our products do not directly use the originally donated tissue in any way. We only use proteins derived from cultured skin cells (grown from a dedicated cell bank).”

All Neocutis products contain PSP and PSP has been clinically demonstrated effective in peer reviewed, published clinical studies, which show the effectiveness of PSP in skin rejuvenation, post-procedure skincare, and care of sensitive, stressed and irritated skin.

This products is supposedly formulated with 30% more PSP, a complete protein blend of Human Growth Factors, Cytokines and Interleukins to help smooth and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  The PSP and hyaluronic acid help firm and hydrate the delicate skin under and around the eyes, helps reduce the appearance of under eye darkness, smoothes the signs of fine lines and wrinkles,.  The addition of caffeine helps alleviate skin puffiness and helps to soothe and refresh the delicate eye area.

This product is receiving a lot of attention, along with the other products in the line.  This product specifically was recognized and recommended by InStyle magazine.

Eye darkness is also supposed to fade by using the specialty Lumiere eye cream.  And the caffeine in the product is said to get rid of bags and puffiness.  These claims seem to be unfounded.

This product also says that fatigue will disappear when using this eye cream 2 times per day.  A tough claim especially if you aren’t getting enough sleep to start.  6 weeks after starting to use Lumiere Eye Cream Neocutis Bio-Restorative Eye Cream With PSP, you should see dramatic results and look years younger.

Many report this is just not the case.  The hyaluronic acid claims to tighten the thin skin beneath the eye area.  Another questionable attribute because many report they never saw this improvement, even after extensive use.  Yes this eye cream hydrates the eyes and gets rid of dry skin.  It goes on light and smooth and non-greasy.  But it falls short on all the other claims.

This under-eye specialty cream is fairly pricey and that’s where the disappointment factor arises.  This product averages around $55 on Amazon, but it is available in many retail locations.  If you were to purchase this product at your dermatologist’s office or skin care professionals office, you may pay close to $100 for this.  Customers don’t mind paying a little more for a great product but they do mind paying for something that just doesn’t deliver.

Others refuse to use this product based on the human growth cells it contains.

Estee Lauder describes this product as “ a singular achievement in visible age correction: an ultra-luxurious, all-powerful creme with our ultimate repair technologies and intense hydrators.  Lifting, firming, perfecting your skin’s appearance like never before.”

Furthermore, this product claims to help lift and bring radiant new life to the eye area, reducing the appearance of dark circles, puffiness and crepiness.

This product is created with several life-renewing molecules including:  “Rock of Life” Algae
It has thrived for over 3 billion years, and Estée Lauder Research has discovered a state-of-the-art way to cultivate this algae and harness its astonishing repair and protective benefits.

EGT
This amino acid, a supercharged anti-oxidant, is one of the building blocks of life. It recharges skin’s energy, helping skin build its natural reserves of vitality and protection.

Silketare
Extracted from a sea plant that can only be harvested a few months a year, it helps skin restore its natural ability to produce energy and encourages optimal cell performance.

Re‑Nutriv Life Re-Newing Molecules™ revitalize skin’s appearance so it looks more vividly alive, more radiant and youthful.

With this product you are set up to experience a dramatic age-correcting result around your eye area.  Users of this product have been neutral for the most part in their thoughts.  Some like it but most are sitting on the fence.  Claims are this Creme will leave your ‘astonishingly beautiful’ and full of life.  A bit disappointing to say the least.

Saying this product will achieve age correction is also a bit much.  Ultimate repair technologies and effective hydrators are great claims but subjective.  Hydrating your skin will firm it and lifting your under eye skin literally just isn’t going to happen with any skin Creme.  Science and special technologies are used to help repair, restore and recharge your skin, energize it and leave you looking radiant.

Many customers have been less than impressed with these claims.

Black Tourmaline and other advanced ingredients, along with the Life Re-Newing Molecules™, help skin dramatically amplify its natural collagen production. By encouraging cells to re-strengthen intracellular attachments, they help mimic the support and collagen production naturally found in young skin.A tough claim to prove.  Many people buy this product because you are supposed to see vivid results from the very first moment.  This one is a disappointment because more often than not people feel short-changed here.

Reducing dark circles, wrinkles and puffiness is a tall order for any skin care treatment.  Estee Lauder Re-Nutrive Ultimate Lift does well in have a pleasantly scented, light and absorbent product.  But the jury is still out on whether or not the bang is worth the buck here.

This product claims to do a lot, but many consumers felt disappointed for the investment.

Mary Kay, Inc.

Mary Kay is based in Addison, Texas, outside Dallas. The company was founded by Mary Kay Ash in 1963. Over the last 50 years, Mary Kay has continued to re-vamp their look and their products to keep up in the ever changing cosmeceutical industry.

Mary Kay has an entire line of products aimed at anti-aging.  One of these products is the Mary Kay Eye Cream TimeWise Age Fighting Cream.

The one thing Mary Kay Eye Cream TimeWise Age Fighting Eye Cream has going for it is that it isn’t too expensive.  So if it doesn’t work for you there is no worry about wasting a lot of money.  The product is $26 for a .65 oz tube.  That’s a plus.

Unfortunately this eye cream doesn’t seem to have too many pluses.

Of course the harsh elements of nature are hard on our skin.  Not to mention our less than stellar lifestyles that most of us lead.  Not wearing sunscreen or getting enough sleep, not keeping hydrated or giving our body the vitamins and minerals it requires plays havoc with our appearance.

And unfortunately the thin and delicate skin beneath your eyes is the first place in which harsh reality shows.  Fatigue, stress and overexposure to sun shows around the eyes and Mary Kay Eye Cream Timewise Age Fighting Eye Cream supposedly nips the consequences of aging in the bud.

Mary Kay claims that this product is hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, oil-free, ophthalmologist-tested and clinically tested.

According to Mary Kay, they conducted a clinical study and 9 out of 10 women experienced younger looking skin.  9 out of 10?  That’s pretty impressive.

Unfortunately this isn’t the case and this eye cream isn’t going to do much more help moisturize your skin.  This is something that any old cream will do.

This deep and rich cream was designed to seriously reduce the appearance of fine lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles.  It just doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor.

Now it does have a nice texture and consistency, which make it slide on nicely and absorb quickly into your skin.  This leaves your skin nice for makeup application.  It doesn’t feel oily or greasy and won’t clog pores, so this should be a good product for anyone with natural oily skin or anyone who is prone to breakouts.

But unfortunately that’s pretty much all it does.  Keep in mind, that this product is only sold through direct sales reps.  You cannot walk into a retail location and pick up this product.  You have to find a sales rep in your area, who will most likely request that you host a party and she will probably pressure you into buying an entire line of TimeWise products.

You’re likely better to head in another direction with your money and find a cream that lives up to your expectations.

This product claims to eliminate lines, wrinkles, dark circles & puffiness in just 3 minutes, claiming that they disappear! To apply this product, you place 2 drops of serum into the palm of your hand. Add one dot of foundation and mix with finger. Using fingertip, smooth on from inner to outer corner of under-eye area. Once applied, you must keep face still. Do not frown or smile until completely dry (in 3 minutes). You will feel a tightening effect, which means the product is working. Do not go over again. Repeat with other eye. When dry, apply foundation to rest of face. Do not go over under-eye area again. We find these instructions a little bizarre, stating you must “Keep face still.” What if you happen to spill a hot cup of coffee on yourself during the 3 minute drying period?  Not likely, I know, but this is a really bizarre way to apply eye cream.

Based on the fact that this product offers a money back guarantee and isn’t pricy to begin with, we decided to let you be the judge of this one.  However, it’s a bit weird to have a money back guarantee when it’s available at places like Walgreens and other retailers where it’s not really a normal thing to return a beauty product.  At least not in our experience, we’ve never returned anything in this price range, but then again there are people from all walks of life and budgets so I guess it’s a good thing to have that guarantee.  We are going to bet that if the product does work at all, the changes to the skin are only temporary and will not leave any long standing effects on your under eyes.  Most “instant” products are just like this – make-up, if you will.  Eye creams that work over time, in a therapeutic manner, are where we find most of our solid scores and review grades.

Chances are, this product will end up under your sink buried in a pile with all of the other cheap drugstore beauty purchases you have made in the past – but perhaps people will chime in and say otherwise – we’ll let the consumer reviews for Sudden Change eye serum do the talking and leave the judging up to you all.

Sudden Change eye serum is sold in many sizes and price points, so it all depends what you are looking for, but you can follow the link below to find out more about the product and read consumer reviews on Amazon.com.

Sudden Change Under-eye Firm Serum .23 oz.

The Dior Anti Fatigue Firming Eye Serum is part of The Dior Homme Dermo System Collection and is the first dermatological skincare system designed to preserve the youthful appearance of men’s skin.  Created through close collaboration between the vision of its creator—Hedi Slimane from the Dior Innovation Center—and a scientific research center of international renown, Dior Homme Dermo System exemplifies the latest progress in dermatological technology.  Hedi, the former Homme Dior menswear designer, designed the masculine container.

Dior Homme Smoothing Revitalizing Eye Serum relaxes skin around the eyes, firming it and reducing fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness.  This product claims to have restructuring action on the eye contour because of a tensing effect whereby the tissues are reinforced, eyelid skin is firmed up and the eye appears to actually lift.  The Cafexyl Complex ensures dark areas and puffiness are diminished also.

The pigments around the eye are neutralized and the fat-buildup that causes puffiness is relieved.  Dior claims that the longer you use this product, the greater the results will be.

And as for the texture it is a cool gel that simply melts into the skin immediately, not leaving the skin oily or dry.  This claim seems to be true and customers report loving how it goes on.  It seems to diffuse quickly into the skin and leave it feeling silky smooth.

This also makes it great for under other creams and makeup because it sets a great base for application.

Now when it comes to getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles this product is questionable at best.  Most people report seeing a minor reduction in fine lines initially but not much after.  So using this product for longer-term doesn’t seem to result in any visible benefits, despite the suggestion from Dior that longer use will result in better results.

As for the dark circles and bags under the eyes, this product gives minimal results at best.  The majority of consumers who tried this product report little or no difference with their dark shadows after using this product and bags and puffiness was only slightly diminished in most cases.  The same results as if you used a cucumber daily.

So there were quite a bit of positive responses to this cream but, most ended up feeling a tad bit shortchanged.

We must say that this is a great marketing strategy employed by Dior.  Men naturally gravitate to a product that is “formulated” just for them and this holds true for products such as deodorant and hair products.  Men want to feel masculine.  Men do not want fru fru packaging and products that smell of lilac and vanilla.

Many studies conclude that the chemical makeup of a man’s skin does not differ from a woman’s and therefore a man would not need to care for his skin any differently than a woman would.

Burt’s Bees Radiance Eye Cream is one eye cream that isn’t too pricey.  This is a nice welcomed change because most serums and creams tend to cost an arm and a leg, literally!  This eye cream claims to give you radiance in the blink of an eye, with a combination of 134 nutrients and 17 amino acids and Vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, C and E, along with Biotin, Niacin and Folic Acid.

That said, there are some pluses to this eye cream.  This cream does seem to hydrate the delicate eye area nicely, and customers report seeing results quickly in this area.  This cream also has a nice sweet scent that is pleasurable, not overpowering, but just a nice light scent.  Unfortunately there are creams out there that end up totally overpowering in the scent department and that’s just not preferable for most, especially with those who have sensitivities to fragrances.

This specialty cream also seems to glide on nicely and leaves no residue, which is another plus.  Because a heavy cream that leaves the skin feeling tacky and oily just aren’t something that most look for in a product.  This product does contain bee’s jelly, so it can be a little sticky if you apply too much.  It can also cause issues with make-up application.  Users reported that makeup can tend to “slide” right off the under eye area.

So the claims of restoring balance to the under-eye area seem to ring true.

Burt’s Bees Radiance Eye Cream also says this eye cream will help fade lines and wrinkles and decrease under eye darkness and bags.  And this is where the lines of communication between truth and fact seem to cross.  This eye cream by no means is a spectacular product.  It doesn’t work miracles and you aren’t going to get results quickly.

At best if you use this product religiously for at least 12 weeks, you may see a slight improvement in the ‘wrinkle’ department.  Fine lines don’t disappear but rather fade slightly over time, likely to keep your skin hydrated more than anything else.

This product is good for all skin types, dry, oily and everything in between.  Those with oily skin reported that this product did not make their oil production worse and those with naturally dry skin said this product moisturized and hydrated the under eye area really well.

Even if this product only helps with dark under eye circles, the price point is excellent for the average consumer.  If it doesn’t work, the consumer is only out $15 vs. $50 or more if they purchase an expensive eye cream and discover that it doesn’t work.

This product can be purchase online from many places including QVC and Amazon and retails for approximately $30 for .5 oz.

Many customers were excited about this new skincare product line by Cindy Crawford.  Hoping they would be satisfied paying a little more than usual for a quality skin care product.  Unfortunately most ended up feel a tad disappointed to say the least. Most customers report they were disappointed with the results.  This seems to be a perfect example of a celebrity endorsement of a product that really just does not work.

This serum is supposed to tone, firm and moisturize where other facial creams fall short, through twice daily applications.   Although it does moisturize as advertised, it doesn’t do anything special.  There are hundreds of cheaper creams on the market that do the same thing.  This specialty cream claims to make you look younger, tighten skin, get rid of black circles and noticeably reduce wrinkles.  Unfortunately most of which seems to fall short.  You can get all of those results by eating right, exercising daily and getting more sleep.

The cream does glide on smoothly and doesn’t feel oily of heavy.  It’s easily absorbed into the skin.  But it lacks anything more.

This lightweight serum is formulated to blend in with other skin care products and is designed to be worn underneath your normal makeup.  It contains a melon fruit extract that is satisfactory but nothing special.  This is one of the few antioxidants it claims to contain, along with a small measure of peptide.  This is all good, but nothing wonderful.

This serum is formulated or marketed for under the eyes, but there’s nothing unique about it to give you reason to put it there.  In fact you really don’t need a specialty cream for under your eyes because any facial serum will do the trick.

If you do decide to purchase this product, despite the blah reviews, be sure to order directly through meaningfulbeauty.com.  According to the site, Meaningful Beauty offers a 60 day money back guarantee, even if the bottles are empty.  The refund will not include Shipping and Handling charges and you will be responsible for the cost of shipping to send the product back.